Absorbent article with coiled side walls

Abstract

The absorbent structure of the invention has a substantially continuous absorbent web having an absorbent layer and a transfer layer. The transfer layer includes a nonabsorbent material and is capable of transferring liquids which it receives to the absorbent layer. The first and second edges of the absorbent web are coiled to form side walls, and the side walls form a trough therebetween. The top, trough-containing surface provides a natural trough in the space between the side walls for receiving and holding large gushes of body fluid until they can be absorbed by or dispersed into the rest of the structure.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An absorbent structure having a longitudinal axis and comprising a substantially continuous absorbent web having first and second opposed side edges arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the structure, the absorbent web comprising an absorbent layer in liquid communication with a transfer layer capable of transferring liquid to the absorbent layer, the transfer layer comprising a nonabsorbent material wherein: (1) the absorbent layer is superposed over the transfer layer to provide an outwardly facing absorbent layer surface and an opposed outwardly facing transfer layer surface;   (2) the first edge of the absorbent web is arranged and configured wherein a region of the outwardly facing transfer layer surface proximate the first edge contacts a region of the outwardly facing absorbent layer surface to form a first enhanced portion; and   (3) the second edge of the absorbent web is arranged and configured wherein a region of the outwardly facing transfer layer surface proximate the second edge contacts a region of the outwardly facing absorbent layer surface to form a second enhanced portion.   
     
     
       2. The absorbent structure of claim 1 in which the transfer layer has at least one window provided therein at a predetermined location, thereby exposing the absorbent layer at the location. 
     
     
       3. The absorbent structure of claim 2 in which the structure has first and second ends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the at least one window being located in at least one of the first and second side walls adjacent at least one of the first and second enhanced portions. 
     
     
       4. The absorbent structure of claim 1 in which the absorbent layer surface has a center line and the enhanced portions substantially abut one another along the absorbent layer center line. 
     
     
       5. The absorbent structure of claim 1 in which the transfer layer has a first longitudinal dimension and the absorbent layer has a second longitudinal dimension, the second longitudinal dimension being greater than the first longitudinal dimension. 
     
     
       6. The absorbent structure of claim 5 in which the transfer layer is substantially longitudinally centered under the absorbent layer to form absorbent layer extensions where the absorbent layer extends beyond the transfer layer. 
     
     
       7. The absorbent structure of claim 6 in which the absorbent layer contains superabsorbent particles. 
     
     
       8. The absorbent structure of claim 6 in which the absorbent layer extensions are compressed. 
     
     
       9. The absorbent structure of claim 1 in which the enhanced portion comprises at least three layers of the absorbent web. 
     
     
       10. An absorbent article comprising a body-facing, fluid-permeable layer and a garment-facing, liquid barrier layer,   the fluid-permeable layer and the liquid-barrier layer substantially enclosing an absorbent structure,   the absorbent structure having a longitudinal axis and comprising a substantially continuous absorbent web having first and second opposed side edges arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the structure, the absorbent web comprising an absorbent layer in liquid communication with a transfer layer capable of transferring liquid to the absorbent layer, the transfer layer comprising a nonabsorbent material wherein: (1) the absorbent layer is superposed over the transfer layer to provide an outwardly facing absorbent layer surface and an opposed outwardly facing transfer layer surface;   (2) the first edge of the absorbent web is arranged and configured wherein a region of the outwardly facing transfer layer surface proximate the first edge contacts a region of the outwardly facing absorbent layer surface to form a first enhanced portion;   (3) the second edge of the absorbent web is arranged and configured wherein a region of the outwardly facing transfer layer surface proximate the second edge contacts a region of the outwardly facing absorbent layer surface to form a second enhanced portion; and   (4) the first and second enhanced portions define a trough therebetween, and the trough is disposed toward the fluid-permeable layer.     
     
     
       11. The absorbent structure of claim 10 in which the transfer layer has at least one window provided therein at a predetermined location, thereby exposing the absorbent layer at the location. 
     
     
       12. The absorbent structure of claim 11 in which the structure has first and second ends substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis, the at least one window being located in at least one of the first and second enhanced portion adjacent at least one of the first and second ends. 
     
     
       13. The absorbent article of claim 10 in which the transfer layer has a first longitudinal dimension and the absorbent layer has a second longitudinal dimension which is greater than the first longitudinal dimension. 
     
     
       14. The absorbent article of claim 13 in which the transfer layer is substantially longitudinally centered under the absorbent layer to form absorbent layer extensions where the absorbent layer extends beyond the transfer layer. 
     
     
       15. The absorbent article of claim 14 in which the absorbent layer extensions are densified. 
     
     
       16. The absorbent article of claim 13 in which the absorbent layer has a center line and the enhanced portions substantially abut one another along the absorbent layer center line. 
     
     
       17. The absorbent article of claim 10 further comprising elastic means substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       18. An absorbent article comprising a body-facing, fluid-permeable layer and a garment-facing, liquid-barrier layer,   the fluid-permeable layer and the liquid-barrier layer substantially enclosing an absorbent structure,   the absorbent structure having a longitudinal axis and comprising first and second substantially continuous absorbent webs, the first absorbent web having first and second opposed side edges arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the structure, the second absorbent web comprising third and fourth opposed side edges arranged substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the structure, the first absorbent web comprising a first absorbent layer in liquid communication with a first transfer layer capable of transferring liquid to the first absorbent layer, the first transfer layer comprising a nonabsorbent material, and the second absorbent web comprising a second absorbent layer in liquid communication with a second transfer layer capable of transferring liquid to the second absorbent layer, the second transfer layer comprising a nonabsorbent material wherein: (1) the first absorbent layer is superposed over the first transfer layer to provide a first, outwardly facing absorbent layer surface and an opposed first outwardly facing transfer layer surface of the first absorbent web, and the second absorbent layer is superposed over the second transfer layer to provide a second, outwardly facing absorbent layer surface and an opposed, second, outwardly facing transfer layer surface of the second absorbent web;   (2) the first edge of the first absorbent web is arranged a configured wherein a region of the first, outwardly facing transfer layer surface proximate the first edge contacts a region of the first, outwardly facing absorbent layer surface to form a first enhanced portion;   (3) the second edge of the first absorbent web is arranged and configured wherein a region of the first outwardly facing transfer layer surface proximate the second edge contacts a region of the first, outwardly facing absorbent layer surface to form a second enhanced portion;   (4) the first and second enhanced portions of the first absorbent web define a first trough therebetween;   (5) the third edge of the second absorbent web is arranged and configured wherein a region of the second, outwardly facing transfer layer surface proximate the third edge contacts a region of the second, outwardly facing absorbent layer surface to form a third enhanced portion;   (6) the fourth edge of the second absorbent web is arranged and configured wherein a region of the second, outwardly facing transfer layer surface proximate the fourth edge contacts a region of the second, outwardly facing absorbent layer surface to form a fourth enhanced portion;   (7) the third and fourth enhanced regions of the second absorbent web define a second trough therebetween; and   (8) the second absorbent web is disposed within the trough of the first absorbent web; and     the fluid-permeable layer is disposed toward the first and second troughs.   
     
     
       19. The absorbent structure of claim 1 wherein the transfer layer substantially surrounds the absorbent layer at the first and second enhanced portions. 
     
     
       20. The absorbent article of claim 10 wherein the transfer layer substantially surrounds the absorbent layer at the first and second enhanced portions.